This past week was one of those weeks where I decided pretty much a few hours before dinnertime to decide what to make, but everything turned out yummy (well, in my opinion at least!)

My GAPS Weekly Meal Un-Plan

(gluten-free, dairy, free, starch-free, sugar-free, soy-free, legume-free)

Dinners (leftovers for lunch):

• Turkey Tacos with Cabbage wraps
• Coconut Fried Chicken and Mashed Cauliflower
• Beef Marinara with Zucchini Noodles
• Salads:  hard boiled eggs or chicken, peas, shredded carrots,  pea shoots, garden tomatoes, cooked and cooled beets, etc.
• Egg wraps with Sautéed Cabbage, Shredded Carrots and Onions
• Chicken Legs with Barbecue sauce and Steamed Broccoli

Desserts:

• Blueberry Muffin Cake
• Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – I had a have a filling on a cavity this week so eating vanilla ice cream seemed only natural…

Breakfast:

• Blueberry Yogurt Smoothies – just yogurt, blueberries and bananas
• Banana Pancakes – just bananas and eggs
• Eggs…

Ferments, etc:

• Soaked and Dehydrated nuts
• Kombucha
• Yogurt

Well, that’s me!  I’m always looking for new ideas so please do share!

So time for a little catch up.  I’ve developed two new obsessions/passions in the kitchen.  The first one was the result of an awesome birthday present my friend gave me – a slow cooker.  You’d think I would have owned one of these already but for whatever reason, this is my first one.

I love it!  And the timing couldn’t be better because I’ve been using it a lot when we’ve been busy during the days and I know I’m not going to have time to cook very much in the evenings.  I’m also planning on using it quite a bit in the next week or so because of working on the house once we close and then moving next week.

So far I’ve been using recipes from Stephanie O’Dea’s blog and for the most part have loved everything.  She is also the author of the cookbook Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, which I have yet to purchase but plan to buy soon.

My second new obsession which I am quite thrilled about is making ice cream with my new ice cream maker.  With summer approaching and not being able to eat ANY of the ice cream that is sold in stores, I decided that it was time to take the plunge into the homemade ice cream world.  (We can’t eat sugar or agave, only honey, and only coconut or homemade yogurt for milk).

So far I’ve tried this awesome Lavender Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream recipe which was great, Raspberry Coconut Ice Cream based on Elana’s Strawberry Coconut ice cream recipe, Coffee Ice Cream made with yogurt from the Grain Free Gourmet cookbook, and another Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream that I created.

Everything has been wonderful but I do think that the vanilla ice creams have been my favorites so far.  The raspberry was very good but tasted more like sherbet and I was in the mood for something creamier.  The coffee ice cream didn’t end up freezing while it was in the ice cream maker for some reason – it was more like coffee slushie.  But when I froze it in the freezer, it was pretty good but a little icy.

I know the next two weeks are going to be busy so I’m planning ahead.  I usually plan only one or so day ahead when I’m cooking but I actually did a menu plan for the next two weeks.  I basically want to make sure we have enough to eat during this time because I have come to know myself too well – when I don’t eat enough and when there is added stress and not as much time to cook, I tend to get more stressed than necessary.  But if I can at least sit down to a good meal then things go a lot more smoothly.

So here is my gluten free, grain free, sugar free, dairy free, soy free, starch free, etc. menu plan for the next two weeks.  Feel free to use part of it or all of it.  It doesn’t include breakfast or lunch because breakfast is pretty easy for us and lunch is usually leftovers from dinner.

Tuesday April 20:

• Lamb tacos with cabbage leaves, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado

• Steamed broccoli

• Make 2 dozen zucchini muffins and freeze one batch

Wednesday April 21: (closing)

• Shepherd’s Pie with beef (with mashed cauliflower)

• Coconut Bread (Make two loaves and freeze one)

Thursday April 22:

• Chicken in the slow cooker with onions, tomatoes, garlic, lemon and herbs

• Green beans

Friday April 23:

• Chicken soup and stock with leftovers

• Cashew Avocado Wraps with egg tortillas

Saturday April 24:

• Pomegranate Beef in slow cooker

• Roasted carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc.

Sunday April 25:

• Leftovers;  Egg Salad;  Carrot Raisin Salad

Monday April 26:

• Turkey Meatloaf (make two and freeze one for the weekend)

• veggies

Tuesday April 27:

• Almond Chicken (Fried in coconut oil and breaded with almond flour)

• Mashed Cauliflower or Steamed Cabbage

Wednesday April 28:

• Salmon with Creamy pesto sauce

• Green beans and carrots – make extra for thursday

Thursday April 29: (moving day)

• Rotisserie Chicken in the slow cooker

• Leftover veggies from Wednesday

• Coconut Bread

Friday April 30:

• Turkey Meatloaf;  zucchini muffins

• veggies

Saturday May 1:

• Banana Pancakes (I make mine with just bananas and eggs)

• Zucchini Noodles with Buffalo Marinara

Sunday May 2:

• Egg Frittata or Egg Wraps with Spinach and Tomato Sauce

I’d love to hear from you!  Let me know if you have any great slow cooker or dairy and sugar free ice cream recipes!

Do you need an Egg-Free weekly menu planner for your limited diet?

After I released the GAPS/Paleo and Elimination Diet Menu Planner in February, I realized how necessary an Egg-Free version of this menu planner was because many people emailed me and asked me if and when I would have an egg-free version available.

So, today I am announcing that the GAPS Egg-Free weekly menu planner is available!  This menu planner is very similar to the other GAPS menu planner.  The only difference is I have either converted the recipes that contain eggs to be egg-free or I have replaced them with egg-free recipes.  I also updated the shopping list for the menu planners.

Click here to learn more about the menu planner or to order.

So, here is the rundown of what kind of menu planner this is:

Full GAPS

SCD

Paleo

Elimination

Yeast-free (honey and fruit are included in the menu)

Egg-Free

Who can benefit from the GAPS diet?  (Find out more here at the official GAPS website)

Anyone with the following symptoms or experiences in life:

• Depression
• Autism
• ADHD
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Learning disabilities
• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety
• Nightwakings
• Behavioral problems
• Hyperactivity
• Bipolar disorder
• Ecxema
• Asthma
• Colic
• Failure to Thrive
• Fussy eaters
• IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Frequent colds, flu or ear infections
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia
• Not breast-fed
• Have had numerous courses of antibiotics
• Chronic cystitis
• Mood swings
• Poor memory
• Difficulties to concentrate
• Underweight
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Any other digestive disorder

There is hope!

If you are new to following a very limited diet like the GAPS diet, it can be overwhelming to know where to start first. It may seem like you can no longer use almost everything you used to cook with.

Or, if you’ve been following it for a while, you may be looking for some new and yummy dinners to prepare.

The good news is, there are some great alternatives to “normal ingredients” and some great recipes that are grain, starch and sugar free.

When you and your family start following this diet, it is vital that you plan ahead before you go shopping at the store. The GAPS Nourishing Foods Menu Planner does it for you!

All dishes are free of the following:

no grains or starchy seeds like quinoa or amaranth

no wheat

no gluten

no eggs – (For the GAPS weekly menu planner that contains eggs, click here)

no dairy (Full GAPS does contain dairy but I have made this menu planner dairy free except for butter.  If you can’t eat butter, coconut or olive oil can be used.)

no soy

no refined sugar (only honey and fruit are used as sweeteners)

no starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, and parsnips

no corn

no peanuts

no legumes (Full GAPS does contain some legumes but I have left them off this menu)

no shellfish (I didn’t include this because of the common allergen issue)

no pork

no preservatives, MSG or other artificial ingredients

There are options for the following:

Nut free – If you can’t eat nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are used as replacements.

What does the menu planner include?

The GAPS Menu planner includes 4 weeks of menus, spread out over 4 weeks.  Each week includes the following:

• A menu for 5 delicious and creative dinners plus 5 complementary side dishes each week
• Two soup recipes each week made with nourishing broth
• One dessert recipe a week to compliment your meals
• Easy to follow recipes for each dish
• An organized shopping list for the entire week, which is coded to each meal so you don’t have to cook every dish
• Kid-friendly ideas for each recipe
• Ideas for substituting main ingredients for each recipe
• Nutritional information is included in all recipes.
• Recipes focus on using fresh produce and whole foods.
• Family-friendly recipes!
• Plus articles about health, allergies, and other food issues.

BONUS recipes and info: Starting a diet like this is daunting and many people don’t know where to start. Plus you will likely be very hungry in the first few weeks.  Because of these reasons, I have added more recipes and a lot more instruction to these menu planners than my other menu planners for specific diets.

In addition to the dinner and dessert recipes, you will also receive the following:

• One Weekend Project Recipe
  • Examples include chicken broth, beef bone broth, lacto-fermented sauerkraut, mayo, and ketchup
• One  Baked Good – snack, bread, or cereal
• One Drink or Smoothie
• One Breakfast Recipe

Don’t know where to start with the basics?

Because people have asked me to include more information about the basics in this planner, you will also receive the following instructions and tips in the menu planners:

• Planning ahead for leftovers for lunch and snacks
• List of allowed and non-allowed foods (condensed version)
• A quick note about necessary kitchen equipment
• How to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds
• How to make your own nut and seed flours
• How to make your own nut butter
• How to make sauerkraut
• How to make chicken broth
• How to make beef bone broth
• Two recipes for making coconut milk
• How to make almond milk
• How to make ketchup and mayo
• How to make yogurt
• How to make ginger tea
• Where to buy nuts and grass fed organic meat

Here are some of the recipes that you will enjoy in the four menu planners:

Dinners and sides:

• Nourishing Vegetable Chicken Soup
• Veggie Pizza
• Zucchini Noodles or Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Marinara
• Chicken Tacos and Guacamole
• Hearty Fish Chowder
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Fish Sticks
• Butternut Squash “Chili”
• Southern Crispy Chicken
• Mashed Cauliflower “Potatoes”
• Cauliflower Leek Soup
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup
• Butternut Squash and Carrot Fries
• Plus more!

Breads and Desserts:

• Egg-Free Almond Bread
• Granola Nut Cereal
• Egg-Free Apple Pie
• Egg-Free Shortbread with Cinnamon Glaze
• Biscuits
• Sesame Crackers and Garlic and Herb Crackers
• Egg-Free Blueberry and Zucchini Spice Muffins
• Spice Cookies
• Plus more!

Click here to find our more about the menu planner or to order.  Have a great day!

First off, I apologize again for my absence on my blog.  We now have a contract on a house and are in the midst of all the details before we close.

Also, on a personal note, I am finding that winter time has been urging me towards resting more and being more internal.  I mentioned in one of my New Year’s posts that I am not suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) this season like I have in the past.  What I feel is happening instead is that I am actually enjoying the “yin” energy of the winter.  This is mostly showing up as working less, relaxing more, taking more baths, and not going out as much.  It seems like it started shortly before the massive winter wonderland we received a few weeks ago. To me, this is a real sign that my being is balancing out and becoming more in tune with nature, the way we are supposed to be.

New Changes to my Menu Planners and Website:

At the same time, I am very excited about some upcoming changes to my website.  I am not ready to go into all the details of what is going to change but I feel I want to start talking about them at some level.

These changes are in response to the needs people with multiple food allergies have.  When I started my menu planners, I didn’t really know what I was getting into.  But I did realize that making menu planners for people with food allergies posed some real problems to solve.  The main one being – everyone is allergic to something different.  There are common food allergens, but from there, there are so many other foods that people can be allergic to.  Beyond that, people, especially children, have many preferences of what they like to eat and what they don’t like.

I have been solving this problem by creating menu planners for specific diets.  The response to this has been great and so far I have the following menu planners.  Most of them are for four weeks of menu plans:

Meat and Seafood Diets:

• Wheat-free and Gluten-free Menu Planner
• Gluten-free and Casein-free Menu Planner
• Dairy-free Menu Planner
• Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free Menu Planner
• Nightshade, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-Free Menu Planner
• GAPS/Paleo and Limited Diet Menu Planner
• Thanksgiving Limited Diet Menu Planner
• Holiday Limited Diet Menu Planner
• Valentine’s (special occasion) Limited Diet Menu Planner
• Just Desserts for Limited Diets (e-book)

Seafood/Vegetarian Diets

• Nightshade-free, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free

However, people need more. Namely, people need a menu for their limited diet, and now.  People are emailing and calling me everyday telling me about their multiple food allergies and asking me what I can do for them.  From this alone, I feel that something more is truly needed in terms of menu planning for limited diets and multiple food allergies.

So while I’m not ready to divulge what I am creating in the background, I will say a few things about it.  This is what I hope the outcome will be for people with multiple food allergies who come to my site for menu planning:

• You will be able to have menu planners designed specifically for you and your families’ food allergies, restrictions, likes and dislikes.
• No matter how many food allergies you or your children have, you’ll be able to find menu planners and recipes that meet your needs.
• Access to breakfast, lunch and snack recipes.
• Easy and simple process!
• You will have access to many recipes that work for your diet.
• I hope to have this ready by the summer of this year.

So these are just a few teasers.  What I want to do is start a discussion on this blog post about WHAT YOU NEED!  So many people email me and call me to tell me what they’re looking for.  But I thought it would be great to have it all in one place on my blog.

So don’t be shy!  Please leave a comment and tell me what kind of menu planner you are looking for.  Even if it seems like a dream and not possible, I want to hear about it!  The more dreams I hear, the more I can tailor the site to your needs!

Here are just a few requests I already have (but please let me know if you have the same request)

• breakfast and lunch menu planners
• egg free breakfast ideas
• egg free menu planners
• nut free
• fructose free menu planners
• multiple food allergy menu planners (there are too many to list here)
• breakfast, lunch and dinner menu planners
• snacks
• Weston A. Price Foundation style menu planner
• fully vegetarian and vegan menu planners
• beef free, chicken free, seafood free, shellfish free
• the list goes on!

If you’ve already sent me an email telling me your needs, please also list them here.  Thanks so much!  I look forward to creating a site that can truly meet you and your families’ needs!  It is truly my joy!

I am very happy to be able to offer this menu planner for people who follow Full GAPS, SCD or Paleo diets.  This menu planner is also dairy-free with nut-free options.

It is also a great menu planner as an elimination diet or for people who are on a yeast-free diet.

I have personally found this diet to be extremely helpful in my own life.  I truly can’t believe the changes that have occurred in my life as a result of following a grain, starch, sugar and yeast free diet.

To name just a few major changes, my lifelong mood swings and depression have almost completely vanished.  I have much more energy and the anxiety that I began to experience postpartum has been replaced with a peaceful and happy mind and heart!

I am really full of gratitude for the diet coming into my life!  I have been writing about these changes in my blog, and will be continuing with my post-postpartum experiences very soon.  You can read about my experiences with GAPS here.

Who can benefit from the GAPS diet?  (Find out more here at the official GAPS website)

Anyone with the following symptoms or experiences in life:

• Depression
• Autism
• ADHD
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Learning disabilities
• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety
• Nightwakings
• Behavioral problems
• Hyperactivity
• Bipolar disorder
• Ecxema
• Asthma
• Colic
• Failure to Thrive
• Fussy eaters
• IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Frequent colds, flu or ear infections
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia
• Not breast-fed
• Have had numerous courses of antibiotics
• Chronic cystitis
• Mood swings
• Poor memory
• Difficulties to concentrate
• Underweight
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Any other digestive disorder

There is hope!

If you are new to following a very limited diet like the GAPS diet, it can be overwhelming to know where to start first. It may seem like you can no longer use almost everything you used to cook with.

Or, if you’ve been following it for a while, you may be looking for some new and yummy dinners to prepare.

The good news is, there are some great alternatives to “normal ingredients” and some great recipes that are grain, starch and sugar free.

When you and your family start following this diet, it is vital that you plan ahead before you go shopping at the store. The GAPS Nourishing Foods Menu Planner does it for you!

All dishes are free of the following:

no grains or starchy seeds like quinoa or amaranth

no wheat

no gluten

no dairy (Full GAPS does contain dairy but I have made this menu planner dairy free except for butter.  If you can’t eat butter, coconut or olive oil can be used.)

no soy

no refined sugar (only honey and fruit are used as sweeteners)

no starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, and parsnips

no corn

no peanuts

no legumes (Full GAPS does contain some legumes but I have left them off this menu)

no shellfish (I didn’t include this because of the common allergen issue)

no pork

no preservatives, MSG or other artificial ingredients

There are options for the following:

Egg free – If you are egg-free, many of the items can be made egg free.  Some recipes will need to be replaced with egg-free recipes.  I will be working on an egg-free version of this menu planner soon.

Nut free – If you can’t eat nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are used as replacements.

What does the menu planner include?

The GAPS Menu planner includes 4 weeks of menus, spread out over 4 weeks.  Each week includes the following:

• A menu for 5 delicious and creative dinners plus 5 complementary side dishes each week
• Two soup recipes each week made with nourishing broth
• One dessert recipe a week to compliment your meals
• Easy to follow recipes for each dish
• An organized shopping list for the entire week, which is coded to each meal so you don’t have to cook every dish
• Kid-friendly ideas for each recipe
• Ideas for substituting main ingredients for each recipe
• Nutritional information is included in all recipes.
• Recipes focus on using fresh produce and whole foods.
• Family-friendly recipes!
• Plus articles about health, allergies, and other food issues.

BONUS recipes and info: Starting a diet like this is daunting and many people don’t know where to start. Plus you will likely be very hungry in the first few weeks.  Because of these reasons, I have added more recipes and a lot more instruction to these menu planners than my other menu planners for specific diets.

In addition to the dinner and dessert recipes, you will also receive the following:

• One Weekend Project Recipe
  • Examples include chicken broth, beef bone broth, lacto-fermented sauerkraut, mayo, and ketchup
• One  Baked Good – snack, bread, or cereal
• One Drink or Smoothie
• One Breakfast Recipe

Don’t know where to start with the basics?

Because people have asked me to include more information about the basics in this planner, you will also receive the following instructions and tips in the menu planners:

• Planning ahead for leftovers for lunch and snacks
• List of allowed and non-allowed foods (condensed version)
• A quick note about necessary kitchen equipment
• How to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds
• How to make your own nut and seed flours
• How to make your own nut butter
• How to make sauerkraut
• How to make chicken broth
• How to make beef bone broth
• Two recipes for making coconut milk
• How to make almond milk
• How to make ketchup and mayo
• How to make yogurt
• How to make ginger tea
• Where to buy nuts and grass fed organic meat

Here are some of the recipes that you will enjoy in the four menu planners:

Dinners and sides:

• Nourishing Vegetable Chicken Soup
• Veggie Pizza
• Zucchini Noodles or Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Marinara
• Chicken Tacos and Guacamole
• Hearty Fish Chowder
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Fish Sticks
• Butternut Squash “Chili”
• Southern Crispy Chicken
• Mashed Cauliflower “Potatoes”
• Cauliflower Leek Soup
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup
• Butternut Squash and Carrot Fries
• Plus more!

Breads and Desserts:

• Coconut Bread
• Granola Nut Cereal
• Fruit Cobbler
• Almond flour tortillas
• Apple Cinnamon Coconut Cake or Muffins
• Biscuits
• Crackers
• Blueberry and Zucchini Spice Muffins
• Spice Cookies
• Banana Pancakes
• Plus more!

If you have not yet read the GAPS Guide by Baden Lashkov, and are planning on implementing the GAPS diet, I highly recommend you order her book and read it before attempting to follow this menu planner.

Baden offers simple and practical advice on how to start this diet, taking things slow and steady according to your pace.  She also covers important information about juicing and supplements that is vital to healing that is not covered in the menu planner such as taking Cod Liver Oil and Probiotics.

If you want more detailed and scientific information about how and why this diet works, you can also order The Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Natasha Campbell-McBride, who created the GAPS protocol based on the SCD diet.

Ongoing support with your diet:

I am here to answer questions as you move through the menu planner.  You can email me here.

There is also an amazing resource through Yahoo Groups where you can ask questions and receive support in your diet.  Click below to join the group:

Click to join GAPShelp

Ready to order your GAPS menu planner?  Click here and then scroll to the bottom of the sign up page. You can also find the page in the sidebar under GAPS, Paleo and Limited Diet Weekly Menu Planner.

Many people like to spend a nice meal with their spouse or significant other on Valentine’s Day.

However, if you or your loved one is on a limited diet, this can be more complicated than making reservations at your favorite restaurant.

What if you were to surprise your loved one with a home cooked, romantic meal?

Maybe there is a menu that your significant other would love to eat at a restaurant but normally contains their food restrictions.

When I had the idea of making a Valentine’s Day Menu Planner, I thought of what kinds of meals that people on limited diets would love to eat – if only they could eat the ingredients!  I also considered food that is known for being “romantic…”

So, I put together a simple but delicious and allergen-friendly menu that I believe almost anyone could enjoy, even if their diet is very limited!

Here is the menu:

Veggie Lasagna (I am including three recipes so that you can use the one that work best for your diet)

• Grain-Free version (made with egg noodles – these taste just like real noodles!)
• Grain and Egg-Free version (made with zucchini noodles)
• Gluten-Free version (made with brown rice noodles)

Strawberry Avocado Salad with Crispy Pecans

Three Desserts to choose from to fit your diet:

• Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing (Grain-Free)
  
• Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Icing (Grain and Chocolate Free)
• Devil Food’s Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten, Nut and Egg Free)

All dishes are free of the following:

no wheat

no gluten

no dairy (if you can eat cheese, you can use it on the lasagna)

no soy

no refined sugar

no starchy vegetables

no corn

no peanuts

no legumes

no meat

no fish

no shellfish

There are options for the following:

All dishes are grain-free except the Brown Rice Noodle Lasagna and the Devil’s Food Cupcakes

egg free

nut free

coconut free

This menu planner will work for people on GAPS, SCD or the Paleo diet.

What else the does the menu planner include?

• An organized shopping list
• ALL of the recipes above
• Substitution ideas for main ingredients of dishes

So if you want to make a very special meal for that very special person in your life, who may be on a “special diet,” here is your chance to wow them!

And it doesn’t even have to be for Valentine’s Day.  You can use this menu for an anniversary, birthday or any other special occasion.

And it’s way more affordable than going out to dinner!  You may also have fun making the food and learning how simple it is to make allergen-free, delicious food!

How can I order the Valentine’s Day menu planner?

The menu planner will be available on my website on Tuesday, February 9th.  You can also find it by clicking on  the Valentine’s Day Menu Planner button in the sidebar.

You can presently Pre-Order the Valentine’s menu planner here and it will be emailed to you on Tuesday, February 9th.

Either way, I hope you have a very special and beautiful Valentine’s Day this year!

Now, imagine a family whose members have food allergies and/or food restrictions.  Maybe this family can’t eat dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, corn and sugar.  Maybe the youngest member is also allergic to eggs.

Unfortunately, there are many families who face this reality every day.  If you don’t have these food restrictions yourself, you may not realize how much this limits one’s diet.

Eating out is “out”

A family on such a diet has a hard time eating out, if at all.  One main problem is that most restaurants use “vegetable” oil or soy oil to cook their food in.  This basically eliminates eating-out.

Fortunately, there are a lot of restaurants popping up that offer gluten-free options.  However, sometimes it is hard to get the wheat/gluten and dairy-free combo at a restaurant.  For instance, they may put dry milk powder in the gluten-free pizza crust.

Grocery shopping is a chore

Even buying food at the store becomes a chore.  You basically have to read all the ingredients lists and even then, finding foods that are free of dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, sugar and eggs is tough!

This is why I create my menu planners.  I personally am on a very limited diet that forces me to cook basically everything we eat.  If I don’t do some planning for the week’s meals, I usually end up spending a lot of time driving back and forth between home and the grocery store.  I also end up spending more money because every time I go, I end up buying things I didn’t plan on.

The Nourishing Foods Menu Planners

My plan is to create menu planners for just about any limited diet.  My next series of menu planners are going to be for the extremely limited diet such as the following (these are subject to change as I get more feedback from people)

• The GAPS diet: this is a wheat/gluten, grain, starch and sugar-free diet that helps people’s digestive systems to heal.   This diet also works great for people on “low-carb” diets or the Paleo diet because it is free of grains and uses high protein nuts and seeds for flours.
• Egg-free, Dairy-free and Gluten-Free
• Nut-free, Legume-free, Wheat/Gluten-free and Dairy-free
• Common-allergen Free:  free of wheat, gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, nuts, fish, peanuts
• Kid-Friendly menus

As of now, I have the following weekly menu planners available:

Meat and Seafood Diets:

• Wheat-free and Gluten-free Menu Planner
• Gluten-free and Casein-free Menu Planner
• Dairy-free Menu Planner
• Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free Menu Planner
• Nightshade, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-Free Menu Planner
• Holiday Menu Planner for Limited Diets – this is a grain, dairy, soy, corn, and sugar free menu
• Thanksgiving Menu Planner

Seafood/Vegetarian Diets

• Nightshade-free, Wheat/Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Soy-free

Dessert

• Just Desserts for the Limited Diet

Gift a Gift of Nourishing Foods to someone on a limited diet this Holiday Season!

I recently updated my Gift a Gift page where you can gift your friend or family member with one of my many menu planners.  I also offer hourly consulting over the phone as well as personal chef services for the Washington DC, Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland areas.

If you’re looking for a gift that keeps on giving, that can really help someone improve the quality of their life and can bring renewed inspiration to their dinner table, buy a menu planner for your loved one or friend.  They will love it and continue to thank you!

Give a Gift today!

Cranberry Raspberry Relish from Eatingwell.com

I had so much fun with the Thanksgiving Menu Planner that I am very excited about creating menu planners for the coming holidays as well!

So excited, that I am actually going to create both a Holiday Menu Planner as well as “Just Desserts” recipe booklet for people on limited diets.

I grew up celebrating Christmas, but if this is not the holiday you celebrate, these menu planners and recipes could most likely work for any festive celebration and holiday.

The Holiday Menu Planner:

I think for many families, having a nice breakfast on either Christmas morning or another special day during the holidays is very common.  So I decided to include a breakfast menu to the holiday menu planner as well as a dinner menu.

Once again, the menu planner is going to be free of the following foods, so that it can work for almost any limited diet:

no dairy -  (butter may be used in some recipes but there is always another option that is dairy-free)

no wheat or gluten – all grains and products containing gluten

no grains

no sugar - only natural sweeteners will be used, such as raw honey and maple syrup

no soy – no soybean oil, lecithin, and other soy products

limited starches

no corn

no beans and legumes

egg-free options

What kinds of foods will be used:

Chicken, eggs, vegetables (non-starchy), nuts, seeds, fruit, honey, coconut, and other whole food ingredients.

So far, this is the menu I have, but it is subject to change, based on feedback I get:

Breakfast:
Egg Frittata
Apple Clafoutis
Egg-Free Banana Muffins or Fig and Nut Spice Bars
Festive Fruit Salad with Almond Crème

Snacks:
Squash Fries
Holiday Pecans
Egg Nog or Almond Nog

Dinner:
Pomegranate Mandarin Salad with Creamy Poppy seed Dressing
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Rosemary Roasted Chicken
Cranberry Raspberry Relish
Steamed Green Beans with Sliced Almonds
Roasted Veggies with Honey Mustard Glaze
Coconut Rolls

Dessert:
Spice Cake with Butter Cream Icing
Egg-free option (TBA)

Just Desserts Recipe e-Book

I got a little carried away with the desserts on the Thanksgiving Menu Planner that I decided that for the holidays, I would create a booklet of holiday dessert recipes.

I think when anyone thinks of Christmas and food, sweets come to mind.  I grew up with my mom making peanut brittle, peppermint bark and lots of other delicious desserts.  These made great gifts for friends and family and we also really enjoyed them!

I already have a long list of candies and desserts that I want to include in the booklet.  And they’re all going to be free of refined sugar, wheat, gluten, grains, soy, corn, and dairy.  Most of the desserts will also be free of chocolate but I may include one or two for people who can eat chocolate.  Here are the ideas I have so far for the Just Desserts Recipe e-book:

Candies and Nuts:
Holiday Pecans
Rosemary Walnuts
Toffee Candies
Almond Brittle
Almond Joy Coconut Bark
Peppermint Patty Coconut Bark
Honey Caramels
Cinnamon Truffles
Almond Rocca
Fudge

Cookies:
Gingerbread Men and other Christmas Cut-out Cookies
Christmas Cookies
Cookie Press Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Fig and Nut Spice Bars

Cakes:
Christmas Fruit and Nut Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
Spice Cake with Butter Cream Frosting
Walnut Torte
Flourless Carrot Cake

Pies, crusts and toppings:
Berry Almond Pie Bars
Berry Pie
Coconut Mousse Pie
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Almond Pie Crust
Coconut Pie Crust
Coconut icing
Coconut whipped Cream
Cashew Cream
Butter Cream Icing

Free Give-Away of the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book!

Last time for the Thanksgiving Menu Planner, I offered it free to people who offered ideas and recipes for the planner that I ended up using.  Thank you to all who participated and gave me your ideas!

For the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book, I am offering a FREE give-away to 5 people who would love to receive them for their holiday planning.  That means, five people will receive both the Holiday Menu Planner as well as the Just Desserts recipe e-book for FREE!

How to Enter the Giveaway

There are 7 possible entries

1. Take a look at the menus for the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book in this blog post and then leave a comment telling us what you think about them and why you’d like to win them.
2. Twitter about this giveaway. Link to (http://bit.ly/7lTKeh) and mention me @Heartofcooking so I can track it.
3. Follow me, Sarah Schatz, on Twitter: @heartofcooking.
4. Share a link to this give away post on Facebook. (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)
5. Send an email to a friend about this giveaway. Give them the URL to this post. (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)
6. Subscribe  to my blog via email or blog reader.
7. Blog about this giveaway. Refer your readers to this post: (http://www.heartofcooking.com/2009/11/coming-soon-limited-diet-holiday-and-just-desserts-menu-planners-plus-free-giveaway)

As you complete each item, come back here and leave a comment letting me know. You can also leave one comment saying everything you did.

Who Will Win?

Five readers will win FREE copies of the Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts Recipe e-book .

Menu Planner Release and Free Giveaway Dates

The Holiday Menu Planner and the Just Desserts recipe e-book will be available for pre-order starting the first week of December.  People who pre-order will receive them in their email the day they are uploaded to my website, the 16th of December.  They will be complete and available for purchase on Wednesday, the 16th of December.

The deadline for the Free Give-Away will be Monday, the 14th of December. The winners will be announced by the 16th of December.  So, you have over two weeks to share and spread the message of the Holiday Menu Planner and Just Desserts recipe e-book for a chance to win a copy of each for your holiday planning.

So, let’s get going!  Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Sarah

Zucchini Pasta Noodles

It ’s been somewhat of a crazy busy week.  The main thing that threw my schedule off was that my computer crashed last Tuesday night.  My husband ran the anti-virus software on both of our computers Tuesday evening and when we woke up Wednesday, neither of our computers would boot up.

Long story short, my computer is running again thanks to my husband.  But it took some time to get programs reinstalled, etc.   We still don’t know what happened with the spyware…

I was planning on working Wednesday morning, but I couldn’t so…. I made chicken broth and yogurt instead.  It was kind of weird.  Usually I’d be a bit frantic, running around trying to figure out how to get my work done.  But I felt like the situation was beyond my control.  It was actually nice to get the chicken broth started from the chicken carcass and meat from the night before.  I also was glad to get the yogurt going since it takes a whole day to ferment in the dehydrator.

I actually have to attribute my mood and ability to deal with the stress to the GAPS diet.  I have to admit that by the end of Wednesday, I was very tired.  But for the most part, I know I dealt with this much better than I normally would before I went grain-free.

The other thing that kind of astonished me when I thought about my week is that I cooked a wonderful meal every night and was able to plan ahead for the next day even though I was super-busier than normal.  However, I didn’t take one picture this week of food.  I guess that was the thing that got dropped amongst the busy schedule.  (The picture of the zucchini pasta is an old picture).  Here is what we ended up having for dinner each night.

Tuesday – Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary with Roasted Veggies

Wednesday - chicken stock;  Chicken and Veggie Soup with Cabbage;  Goat yogurt

Thursday - Zucchini Noodles with Beef Marinara

Friday - Egg Frittata with Zucchini and Cashew Cheese (used left over zucchini “cores” from zucchini noodles);  Banana Walnut Muffins

Saturday - Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Cauliflower
This was simply yummy.  I couldn’t believe how much the cauliflower tasted like mashed potatoes!

Sunday - Jamaican Spiced Chicken Thighs and Steamed Broccoli

Monday - Crab Cakes with Coconut Bread and Sauerkraut
The Crab Cakes were inspired by the crab meat that my in-laws brought to us on Sunday.  They turned out really yummy;  I used almond flour, eggs, mustard, and some spices.  Then I baked them instead of frying them at 350 for about 20 minutes or so, broiling them in the last 5 minutes.  They went incredibly well with the sauerkraut we’ve been enjoying.

Tuesday - Pizza with Ground Turkey (Almond Flour pizza crust);  Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Part of my week was doing an interview with Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS.com.  She’s also doing a FREE give-away of the Thanksgiving Menu Planner, which is ending tonight, PST.  Sorry – it’s been another busy day and I didn’t realize this offer was ending tonight!

This is also my Tuesday Twister post for the week to contribute to the Tuesday Twister Carnival at GNOWFGLINS.  Check out the other great posts!

Have a great week!

Gluten-free and Dairy-free Pecan Pie

Hooray!  Thanksgiving is coming and if you have a limited diet, you will have some amazing and delicious recipes to make!  The Thanksgiving Menu Planner is now available and it is specifically for limited diets that are free of foods like gluten, wheat, dairy, corn, sugars, starches, nightshades, and peanuts.  If you’re egg-free or nut-free, you’ll also find some great options to create a beautiful allergen-free menu for the holidays!

I want to thank my subscribers who gave me some wonderful ideas and recipes!

• Lori – she had to idea to have snacks for hungry children on the menu
• Sarah – pumpkin bars with “cream cheese” frosting
• Rebecca – stuffing and cranberry sauce recipes
• Sarah – traditional green bean casserole – I made a healthy version!
• Holly – whipped coconut cream recipe
• Rahma – sauerkraut – I included a lacto-fermented version so that people have a digestive aid on Thanksgiving
• Andrea – pumpkin dip with apples recipe
• Anonymous – Pecan Pie
• Ann – Butternut Squash and Apples
• Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS.com offered her Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie as well as the Coconut Icing

Here is the final menu:

Thanksgiving Day Menu:

Snacks (for hungry children before dinner is served):

• Crispy Pecans
• Pumpkin Dip with Apple Slices (contains cashews and sunflower seeds)

Dinner:

• Roasted Turkey

Veggies:

• Lemony Green Beans with Almonds (almonds are optional)
• Green Bean Casserole (contains cashews)
• Butternut Squash with Apples
• Mashed New Potatoes w/ Garlic & Rosemary
• Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

Condiments/Sauces:

• Spiced Cranberry Sauce
• Mushroom Gravy (contains cashews)
• Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut

Breads/Stuffings:

• Coconut Savory Rolls (contains eggs)
• Coconut Bread Stuffing (contains eggs)
• Wild Rice Pecan Stuffing (egg-free and gluten-free)

Desserts:

• Pumpkin Bars (contains almonds and eggs)
• Pumpkin Pie (contains eggs)
• Egg-free Pumpkin Pie (contains almonds)
• Egg-Free Apple-Apricot Pie (contains almonds)
• Pecan Pie (contains nuts and eggs)

Pie crusts and Dessert Toppings

• Gluten-Free Almond Pie Crust (contains almonds)
• Nut-Free Coconut Pie Crust (contains coconut)
• Cashew Date Frosting (contains cashews)
• Coconut Whipped Cream (contains coconut)
• Coconut Icing (contains coconut)

As you can see, I went a little overboard on the desserts.  But I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone.  I had never made a pecan pie before and I think it’s now my favorite over pumpkin!

The menu planner is only $4.95 and it includes a detailed shopping list.  After creating it, I think this is a steal, so get your copy now while this offer lasts!

Enjoy!